Arsenal cruised past Wigan Athletic in the FA Cup fourth round, beating the League One side 4-0 at the Emirates.
Mikel Arteta’s side had to bounce back after their disappointing draw against Brentford in the Premier League, and they did just that.
Arsenal made FA Cup history against Wigan by scoring four goals in the opening 30 minutes, with Eberechi Eze’s masterclass opening the floodgates.
Eze earned two assists to set up Noni Madueke and Gabriel Martinelli’s goals, with Gabriel Jesus and an unsurprising own goal also getting on the scoresheet.
On a dominant day for the Gunners, here’s how the players rated.
Who was Arsenal’s best performer against Wigan?
Explain your answers!
Kepa Arrizabalaga: 7
Not the busiest outing for Arrizabalaga, however, when he was called into action, he was sure to impress, pulling off a sublime close-range save to deny Joe Taylor in the first half.
Myles Lewis-Skelly: 6
It was a gutting afternoon for Lewis-Skelly, who was denied the chance to play in midfield due to Riccardo Calafiori’s injury in the warm-up.
Still, the Englishman impressed and was eager to get on the ball on the left side, frequently pushing forward.
William Saliba: 6
It was the perfect game to ease Saliba back in after illness kept him out against Brentford. The defender was cool and composed and handled the challenge well.
Cristhian Mosquera: 6
Routine performance from Mosquera, who has been offering a lot to Arteta’s defence since returning from injury.
The Spaniard was as calm and composed as Saliba at the back.
Ben White: 7
White would’ve been in dreamland as he had both Saka and Madueke to combine with on the right side.
The fullback combined well with Madueke in particular, always noticing his teammate’s runs in behind.
Christian Norgaard: 10
It was an absolute masterclass from Norgaard, who reminded us what an absolute bargain Andrea Berta secured in the summer to sign him for just £10m.
The Dane’s experience shone through, but what stood out most was his passing range, being the driving force behind numerous attacks thanks to his ability to play the long ball early.
A terrific display from Norgaard, who really should be playing more.
Eberechi Eze: 9
Eze played an incredible pass through the middle to set up Madueke’s goal and then replicated it to set Martinelli underway.
The Englishman fed Arsenal’s front line expertly, sending a strong message out to any doubters.
Bukayo Saka: 7.5
It was a nice surprise to see Saka start the game after being initially named on the bench, but it was even more of a surprise to see the winger’s positioning.
Saka played in central midfield rather than on the wing, and it’s fair to say it was a hit.
Finish the sentence: Eberechi Eze’s best position for Arsenal is _____
He may not have scored or assisted, but Saka certainly gave Arteta some food for thought with his cameo.
Gabriel Martinelli: 8
Martinelli is a different player in the cups than he is in the Premier League this season, and showed that again.
The Brazilian scored a brilliant goal thanks to his clever runs in behind Wigan’s defence, something fans would love to see more often.
Noni Madueke: 8
Madueke meant business against Wigan, opening the scoring with a Thierry Henry-esque finish.
Aside from his ability to add to his goal tally, the winger was tremendous on the right side, getting fans off their seats when in 1v1 situations.
Gabriel Jesus: 7
Jesus was lively in attack, and his energy paid off as he got in behind to score his fifth goal of the season with a cheeky chipped finish.
Viktor Gyokeres: 6
Gyokeres almost made an immediate impact as he came on at half-time and had a shot on target. The striker might’ve been annoyed that he watched the goals on the sidelines rather than playing a part in them.
Marli Salmon: 6
There was a huge roar inside the Emirates as 16-year-old Salmon replaced Saliba. The teenager wasn’t tested too much, but he also didn’t look out of place. One to watch for sure!
Leandro Trossard: 6
Madueke excited on the wing, and to the delight of fans, the fun didn’t stop when Trossard replaced him.
The Belgian was direct and hard for Wigan to limit, putting his marker to the test with some intricate twists and turns.
Martin Zubimendi: 6
Zubimendi earned a deserved rest against Wigan, but he was called into action late on and almost had a hand in the goals.
The midfielder put the ball on a plate for Martinelli, but his header couldn’t be converted.
Tommy Setford: N/A
It was a nice, and strange, moment to see Tommy Setford come on in the 86th minute to replace Kepa, earning some rare first-team minutes.
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